Home Modifications Can Make Caregiving Easier

by guest author Lydia Chan

When I learned that my Aunt Lucille had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I cried. This was the woman who held me on her lap when I was a child and often amused me with her dry sense of humor.

As you can imagine, I was relieved to hear that she hadn’t been shuffled off to an uncaring nursing home. Instead, her family rallied around to make sure that she had everything she needed to stay in her current home.

Many seniors would prefer to “age in place,” meaning stay in the home they are in for the rest of their lives. Alzheimer’s disease, of course, can make that more difficult. But the good news is that, with some modifications to your shared living quarters, an Alzheimer’s patient can stay safe. That saves you, the caregiver, from constant stress and worry.

Home modifications are for your peace of mind

You are much more likely to take a needed break if your loved one’s home is free from the hazards that can result in injury for an Alzheimer’s patient.

Of all the rooms in your house, the bedroom is the one your patient is most likely to fall in. So it is important to look critically at the way furniture is arranged in that room. Shoes and other obstacles should be put away and not left on the floor. An Alzheimer’s patient may not remember to put things away, so you may need to arrange for a companion to be in the house all day almost every day. Make sure there is sufficient space next to the bed for the patient to arise in safety. Also be careful to leave enough space next to the bed for a walker or wheelchair so your patient can easily navigate onto those aids without straining.

Other home modifications that will improve the safety of your loved one include:

• A walk-in shower.
• A grab bar in the shower.
• A shower seat.
• If your loved one has difficulty walking around the house, a walker will prove valuable.
• Some people will want to consider hand rails along the walls to assist with walking through the house. Grabbing walls and furniture, instead, may lead to a fall.

Caregivers must not neglect their own care

Caring for someone with advanced Alzheimer’s can be exhausting. It is important that caregivers, especially those over fifty with health issues of their own, not neglect their own health. That means not working past the point of exhaustion, not letting yourself get dehydrated, and not missing or postponing your own doctor’s appointments, among other things.

It’s important that you not try to go it alone. Alzheimer’s patients often require around-the-clock care, and one person simply can’t do that. Reach out to the patient’s friends and family and let them share the burden.

AARP reports that far too many caregivers wait until they are in danger of collapsing before getting the help they need. When you sign on  to be a caregiver, you need to first develop a plan that involves getting help from others on a regular basis. Don’t wait until your own condition is critical.

If other measures fail, Medicare will pay for respite care in a care facility for up to five days at a time, in the event that you need time to get treatment yourself or if you just need a rest. The respite care program was invented specifically to help caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America also offers grants for caregivers who need a vacation. It is important that caregivers consider their own interests as well as their patients’. Remember: Help is not far away. You just have to ask for it.

Call now if conflicts or changes in your family might make working with a family mediator a good idea. Call 703.864.2101 for a free consultation, or contact Dr. Virginia Colin at mediatorQ@gmail.com. 

Mediation services are available in Springfield, Fairfax, Alexandria and elsewhere in northern Virginia.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.